Agencies make efforts to stop flight cancellation and delays

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 15:18

After Transport Minister Dinh La Thang had demanded a stop of flight cancellations and delays which were on the rise in the first five months of this year, related agencies have made concerted efforts to improve the situation.

Thuy Minh, director of the Southern Airports Authority, said that four domestic air carriers and 38 international air carriers have to meet drastically increasing travel demand causing the overload at national airports. It is one of the main reasons for flights cancellation and delays.

Ms. Minh added that the airlines increased its frequency of flights in Tan Son Nhat International Airport from 32 per hour while the airport can serve around 29 flights per hour.

In addition, in rush hours air traffic congestion grows in the airport runway consequently and cancellation or delay is unavoidable, resulting in domino-effect.

In 2013, Tan Son Nhat Airport welcome 20 million passengers; accordingly, the international airport expanded the number of its left and right terminals to allow for 36 more check-in stalls, four baggage carousels and two baggage screening monitoring sections. However, the facility hardly meets the increased travel demand at present.

Vo Huy Cuong, Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV), said the CAAV had asked the Southern Airports Authority to better serve passengers in peak hours by rearranging service sections.

Prices of essential products at Tan Son Nhat airport must be cut by 30 percent before July 17 as many customers complained about the exorbitant prices of these products while food providers in Noi Bai Airport had decreased the prices.